1. Technical Field
The present invention is related to a fitting confirmation construction for connectors. The fitting confirmation construction enables the confirmation of whether connectors are fittingly connected together completely or incompletely from the rear by employing a confirmation opening in a connector.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, various types of fitting confirmation constructions have been proposed as ones used in connecting together a connector installed at an end of a flexible flat circuit element to a connector installed at an end of a hard printed circuit board.
For example, JP-A-2006-85989 describes a fitting confirmation construction. In this construction, a plurality of terminals of conductive metal are disposed in parallel in a circuit-board-side connector so as to be exposed to an inside of a mating connector insertion port. A terminal of a flat circuit element is fixedly held between upper and lower guide members of a flat-circuit-element-side connector. At the same time as both the connectors are fitted together, the terminals of the circuit-board-side connector are brought into elastic contact with a plurality of exposed conductors of the flat circuit element within the mating connector insertion port, and a projection on a flexible lock arm of the flat-circuit-element-side connector is brought into elastic engagement within a hollow portion in an upper wall of the circuit-board-side connector. Then, the worker is allowed to recognize a complete fitting connection of the connectors by hearing an engagement sound and visually confirming the projection.
In addition, JP-A-2003-308924 describes a locking construction for a flat-circuit-element-side connector. In this locking construction, locking piece portions are provided at distal ends of a pair of left and right substantially L-shaped flexible leg portions, and lock releasing levers are folded back in parallel to the leg portions from both left- and right-hand sides of the locking pieces portions.
In addition, JP-A-5-343133 describes a fitting confirmation construction. In this construction, an opening and an inclined guide rib are provided in an upper wall of one of connectors for not a flat circuit element but a wiring harness connection connectors, and a flexible arm which follows the guide rib and a mark at a distal end of the arm are provided in the other connector, so that when connectors are fitted together, the mark is caused to be positioned within the opening for recognition by the worker who fits the connectors together. JP-A-2004-363044 also describes a fitting confirmation construction in which when connectors are fitted together, a different colored portion of the other connector is positioned within an opening in one connector.